Scipion-class ship of the line
The Scipion class was a class of three 74-gun ships of the line built to a design by François-Guillaume Clairin-Deslauriers, the ingénieur-constructeur en chef at Rochefort Dockyard. These were the shortest 74-gun ships built by France since the 1750s, and they were found to lack stability as a consequence. The third ship - originally the Pluton - was 'girdled' (sheathed) with 32 cm of pine at Rochefort in 1799 to overcome her instability, and the design of two further ships ordered at the same dockyard in 1779 were lengthened.
- Builder: Rochefort Dockyard
- Ordered: early 1778
- Begun: 10 April 1778
- Launched: 19 September 1778
- Completed: February 1779
- Fate: Wrecked in Samana Bay, off San Domingo on 19 October 1782.
- Builder: Rochefort Dockyard
- Ordered: early 1778
- Begun: 1 April 1778
- Launched: 5 October 1778
- Completed: February 1779
- Fate: Razéed to 50-gun frigate in February to June 1794, and renamed Hydre in May 1795; discarded 1797.
- Builder: Rochefort Dockyard
- Ordered: early 1778
- Begun: 10 April 1778
- Launched: 5 November 1778
- Completed: February 1779
- Fate: Renamed Dugommier on 17 December 1797. Taken to pieces at Brest in 1805.
 Scipion raking HMS London during the action of 18 October 1782. | |
| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name | Scipion |
| Operators |  French Navy |
| Completed | 3 |
| Lost | 1 |
| Scrapped | 2 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ship of the line |
| Tons burthen | 1,500 tonnes |
| Length | 53.8 m (176 ft 6 in) |
| Beam | 14.1 m (46 ft 3 in) |
| Draught | 7.3 m (23 ft 11 in) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Armament | 74 to 78 guns of various weights of shot |
Citations
References
- Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S. (2017) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1626–1786: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates.. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4738-9351-1.
- Winfield, Rif and Roberts, Stephen S. (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786-1861: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates.. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.
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